Editor 's Note : William Frist , the former Republican majority leader of the U.S. Senate , is a physician . He was elected to represent Tennessee in the Senate in 1994 and served two terms before deciding not to run for re-election in 2006 .

Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says it 's good that Obama and Biden are members of the Senate .

NASHVILLE , Tennessee -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Now is the time for a new beginning . And how it is approached may well turn on the often overlooked fact that both the president-elect and the vice president-elect are products of the U. S. Senate .

America shines at her best in times of challenge , and never in my adult life have we seen more challenge coming from more dimensions . I encourage Republicans to rally behind this president-elect and openly express support for the call for change throughout our legislative and executive branches .

I encourage Democrats not to repeat the missteps made by Republicans by excluding thoughtful debate . And I encourage the American people to stay involved with the intensity manifested by heightened participation in the democratic process .

My teaching on the Princeton campus last year revealed to me an explosion of energizing interest in `` the system '' and how to make it better from within -- very different from when I was there 38 years ago and the same activism was channeled toward tearing it down .

The wounds of the campaign are not as deep or angry as the media portray . For many , there is disappointment , and this must be consoled with time and discussion ; for more , there is a sense of hope and quiet optimism that fresh ideas and new faces and commitment to collaboration can , if handled with care and grace , nurture a new prosperity .

Having served in the U.S. Senate , I am proud that that body , historically avoided as a source of presidential leadership , produced three of the four candidates and now the president and vice president .

The Senate is a strange animal . Unlike the House , it is weighted to give the minority party exceptional power . And that 's why we have these super-majority -LRB- and , to the public , usually hard to fathom ! -RRB- thresholds like cloture and the filibuster .

Both of our new leaders are creatures of this body , a body that our founding fathers deliberately elevated to one of deliberation and discussion and unlimited debate and enhanced minority power .

That unique Senate legislative experience of the president - and vice-president-elect -- with the understanding it brings both to lead on principle but govern with compromise and to respect uniquely the minority 's participation -- stations them ideally for a time when the American people expect their government to work together to aggressively attack the problems that face us .

My former colleague John McCain returns to the Senate to participate with a style that fits the time . What made my life tough at times as leader -- his working on his own agenda , working almost obsessively across the aisle , putting principle before party and defending through passionate debate his conservative views -- is what can make him an effective force in shaping the change that these elections spoke so loudly to .

And to the president-elect , what an opportunity ! Times are tough , but the people have rallied to your call . You have the followers ; you have the believers ; even your loudest critics recognize that you are endowed with leadership talents that are precious .

To move the nation forward , keep listening to the American people . Be straight with them , and do n't over-promise . Fill the gaps where you lack experience with the brightest minds with the highest values . iReport.com : Share your message for Obama

And finally , though this may appear a bit self-serving , the doctor in me is shouting out not to forget an issue that has been driven to the background by the credit markets , job losses and threats overseas : health care .

Ever-rising health costs drive people to the ranks of uninsured . The 15 million hard-core uninsured need your immediate attention . There is nothing more intimate or more personal to any of us than the health of our loved ones . Do n't let it slip to the back burner .

So , even in these tough and depressing times defined by an economic crisis that will -- yes , will -- have an end , I am pretty excited about the future . Let 's all play our part as citizens of the greatest and freest country in the world .

The opinions expressed in the commentary are solely those of William Frist .

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Bill Frist says it 's time for a new beginning in America

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Frist says we 're fortunate Obama , Biden were in the Senate

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Senate relies on cooperation between majority and minority , Frist says

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Frist : McCain can play a key role in continuing to reach across the aisle